Is it The Season to be Jolly? Christmas 2013

Christmas is just around the corner and everywhere you look, people are getting into the holiday spirit: snowflakes hanging in shop windows; Christmas lights twinkling above the frantic shoppers in Oxford Street, desperate to buy presents in time; Greggs selling Christmas themed cakes, and Costa employees prancing around in Rudolph T-shirts and Santa hats – everyone is looking forward to their well-earned break, whether they celebrate Christmas or not. We use the holiday to spend time with family members who we might not see often. We use it as an opportunity to give and receive, and make the ones we love happy.

Clichéd as it sounds, we take it all for granted.

Recently, the Year 12s had the pleasure of listening to speakers from the OneVoice charity, which aims to raise awareness about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict (www.onevoicemovement.org, if you’re interested). We heard about the first-hand experiences of two women, one being Israeli and the other Palestinian, and the hardships they endured as a result of the ongoing problems back home. Both sides believe the land is rightfully theirs, inevitably leading to the clashes and violence that threaten the lives of innocent civilians on a daily basis. Although we were exposed to an objective view on the situation, it is clear that the conflict isn’t easily solvable, regardless of the majority of both sides being willing to compromise. We see these stories on the news, on our fancy flat-screen TVs, from the comfort of our cosy sofas, and ultimately turn a blind eye to the fact that people are living their lives in fear every single day.

The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is just one of many examples of our lack of compassion. Yes, we acknowledge the terrible things that happen. Yes, we watch or read about these tragedies, tutting and shaking our heads at what a bad place the world can be – but how many of us actually do anything more than just accept their presence? Why have we become so desensitised to the horrors that surround us? I’m not saying we should all become activists for every cause, but our ignorance only begs the question of how severe a problem has to be in order to gain the world’s attention.

We overlook the problems closer to home, too – especially around this time of year. Christmas is a tough time for pensioners who have lost their loved ones, as it can be nothing more than an overhanging cloud of loneliness. The winter season is particularly hard for the homeless, many of whom won’t survive the cold and lack of food. We really don’t realise just how privileged we are, and how the things that seem insignificant to us are actually luxuries to others.

I’m not trying to dampen anyone’s Christmas spirit – far from it; I think we need to celebrate what we have, but also make Christmas more enjoyable for others. Even the smallest of gestures can make a difference to someone’s life, whether it’s helping out at a soup kitchen, donating your unwanted clothes, volunteering at a retirement home, or simply buying a homeless person a meal.

Be compassionate this Christmas.

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